Standing Tall #21

This is one of my favourite giraffes (definitely in the top three), and possibly one of the organizers' favourites as well, since instead of simply putting it on a plinth somewhere, it was displayed in its own little park, complete with fence and pathway.

Called Te Aroha Mutunga Kore, which translates to "Loved Forever" or "Endless Love", the Koru patterns were designed by Morgan Mathews-Hale and looked incredibly striking against the white background. Most of it was painted in monochrome, but certain parts (the eyes, under the chin, over the heart) resembled pāua shell.

These photos don't really do it justice; but I vividly remember just how quiet and serene the place was, despite being in the middle of a busy residential area.

Meta: Alias Grace ... what the hell?

I've recently finished Alias Grace, a six-part miniseries that's riveting, engrossing and fascinating, and which you should watch right now if you haven't already. Based on the real-life arrest, imprisonment and eventual pardoning of Grace Marks for her involvement in the murders of her employer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery, Margaret Atwood weaves a story around the established facts of the case that explores (as you might expect) womanhood, storytelling, and how the perception of others can shape our lives.

This post is for those who have already seen the miniseries (or read the book) for it is an attempt to provide three possible explanations for the mystery of Grace Marks (as presented here) and the events that took place on that fateful day in July 1843 when Kinnear and Nancy were killed.

There are three possible scenarios that the show leaves us with:

Links and Updates

I usually write up a special post to mark the end of one year and the beginning of another, but between one thing or another, my goodbye to 2017 slipped past me this year. Kind of like the year itself.

The biggest change for me was that I finally got a job as a library assistant, and though it's only fixed term, I received the training and experience I need to hopefully make the leap to permanent position a little easier. It was a huge year in that respect, and it means I can finally start saving in earnest for a trip to Europe. Will I get there this year? Fingers crossed.

Woman of the Month: Princess Leia Organa

Princess/General Leia Organa from Star Wars

Sometimes these entries chose themselves, and I always knew that Princess Leia would end up the first Woman of the Month in 2018. With Carrie Fisher's last performance in The Last Jedi finally released in cinemas, it's a good time to look back at what this princess really meant to people.

I watched the original Star Wars trilogy when I was still young enough to take Leia for granted: the white robed, cinnamon bun hair-styled princess wasn't a feminist icon or a subversion of the distressed damsel – she simply was. It wasn't until I got much older that I realized how game-changing she really was.

When you strip away all the sci-fi trappings, Star Wars is essentially a fairy tale: there's an orphaned hero, an evil dark lord, a wise old wizard, a magical sword – and an imprisoned princess. But although Leia narratively embodied the role of a princess in terrible danger, she certainly didn't act like one. From the moment we see Darth Vader confront her on board Tantive IV, her spunk, self-possession and bravery is made clear.

As the trilogy continues, we discover her wit, her temper, her gentleness, and her leadership skills.

But if there's one thing that's always bugged me, it's when she's described as "a woman who didn't need rescuing." This completely ignores the fact that... um... yeah she did. The entire second act of A New Hope revolves around Luke and Han's liberation of her from the Death Star, and to say otherwise is to rob Leia of her vulnerability and the value of teamwork.

Luke gets her out of the cell, she gets them out of the corridor, and the droids get them out of the trash compactor. To deny Leia her need to be rescued is to ignore the secret of her appeal: that she's traditionally feminine and masculine; her own ying and yang. Here is a beautiful young woman in a white flowing dress and fantasy hairstyle who bosses the boys around, openly insults those who oppose her, and competently wields a blaster in her own defence.

The woman who sneers: "I recognized your foul stench coming off the elevator" at Governor Tarkin is the same as the one who gently talks down a jumpy Ewok by offering him something to eat. She's as tough as nails, but that doesn't rob her of kindness or vulnerability.

And then, thirty years later, we saw the return of Leia not as a princess but a general: still sharp, still in charge, but with an additional sadness to her. It's a mixed blessing every way you look: she lost her son to the Dark Side, but gained a surrogate son in Poe Dameron. She watched the New Republic fall, but carries hope into the future with a new generation of Rebels. She's suffered endless losses, but the fact she's still standing is a testimony to her equally endless strength.

And as divisive as The Last Jedi has proved to be, I don't think anyone could fault its final scene: Leia and Rey on board the Millennium Falcon, surrounded by a motley crew of rebels, pilots, droids and aliens that make up the last of the Resistance. Leia's final words on screen are directed as much to the audience as to Rey: "we have everything we need."

Thank you Princess, thank you General, thank you Carrie Fisher.